In today's marketplace, products are often distinguished as much by the packaging in which they are presented as the quality of the product itself. A package which catches the eye of the consumer is therefore very desirable. To that end, increasingly colorful and creative graphics have been applied to packaging in an attempt to distinguish one package, and hence one product, from another.
One popular graphic with visual appeal for consumers is the hologram. Holograms present a three dimensional image to the consumer. Unfortunately, holograms are expensive to produce, requiring high precision embossing equipment and tools. The capital expense required to produce holograms is high enough that holograms are often used as a security device. Simpler embossing methods can be used at lower cost than holograms to produce a graphic with a textured or raised look and feel. Embossing can produce interesting visual effects when a clear profile is embossed over an image. The underlying image appears differently from various viewing angles due to refraction of light through the embossed profile. However, even simple embossing equipment typically requires a significant capital expenditure.